The US health secretary clarified that he was blaming painkillers, not the surgery itself, after his remarks sparked criticism
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has defended remarks he made during a cabinet meeting on Friday after critics said he suggested a link between circumcision and autism. He later clarified that he meant the pain reliever Tylenol (acetaminophen) given to infants after the procedure, not circumcision itself.
Earlier, President Donald Trump echoed parts of the theory, urging pregnant women not to use Tylenol and stressing the need to examine its safety.
“Two studies that show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism,” Kennedy told the meeting. “It is not proof. We’re doing the studies to make the proof,” he said on Friday.
He called autism a national security issue and claimed that countries with higher acetaminophen use show higher autism rates. Kennedy also mocked a pregnant woman in a TikTok video who took Tylenol and cursed Trump, saying her behavior shows “Trump derangement syndrome.” He added that taking the drug during pregnancy without needing to is irresponsible.
The remarks drew a swift backlash. Representative Jerrold Nadler wrote on X that Kennedy’s “obsession with conspiracy theories has once again crossed the line into dangerous and antisemitic territory.” Dr. Peter Hotez, a vaccine expert, called the theory “absurd.” Autism researcher Helen Tager-Flusberg said, “None of this makes sense.”
In September, the World Health Organization said there is no conclusive scientific evidence linking acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism.
Afterward, Kennedy took to X, citing a 2015 Danish study showing higher autism rates in circumcised boys. He said it argues that acetaminophen is the likely factor and outlines how it may cause neurodevelopmental harm when combined with oxidative stress, calling the evidence “overwhelming.”
Kennedy accused media outlets of distortion. “USA Today partially reported what I said but used misleading framing. [The] New York Post distorted it completely with its headline, implying I said circumcision causes autism.”
Kennedy founded Children’s Health Defense, a group known for questioning vaccine safety and promoting theories linking vaccines to autism. He also criticized the WHO’s Covid-19 response, including lockdowns and vaccines.
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